At 10 a.m., the Assembly will hold a public hearing to review and receive public input on the plan prepared by the DEC about pesticide use on Long Island. Farmingdale State College, 2350 Broadhollow Rd., Little Theater-Roosevelt Hall.

At noon, advocates, union officials and workers participate in a news conference sponsored by The Justice Will Be Served! Campaign to criticize the minimum wage hike, saying it’s inadequate; in front of Cuomo’s NYC office, 633 Third Ave., Manhattan.

Also at noon, Latino and immigrant rights groups will “denounce Sen. Charles Schumer for his ‘Latino Problem’: supporting extreme positions on comprehensive immigration reform, positions that are not supported by the majority of Latino voters.” Schumer’s NYC office, 780 3rd Ave., #2301, Manhattan. (There will also be events in Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX and Westchester County).

Schumer himself will be in Utica to call for better federal job-training programs for the high-tech sector. Mohawk Valley Community College IT Building, 1 p.m.

Campaign finance reform advocates will make a push for their issue, holding events across New York, including a 6 p.m. forum at the Albany Public Library, Main Branch, 161 Washington Ave. with Sen. Cecilia Tkaczyk, Assemblymembers John McDonald and Phil Steck; Citizen Action’s Karen Scharff and others.

At 6 p.m., Assemblymen Dick Gottfried and Matt Titone and advocates participate in a forum on federal immigration reform, calling for the proposals to include provisions for gay and transgender immigrants; The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., Manhattan.

Headlines…

The NY Post reports IDC member Sen. Malcolm Smith and NYC Councilman Dan Halloran will be slapped with federal charges in a bribery scheme to rig this year’s NYC mayoral election, offering cash to GOP leaders to get Smith onto the ballot.

The federal government approved a deal with the Cuomo administration that dramatically slashes Medicaid payments to New York for services provided to developmentally disabled people.

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner’s profile has been raised significantly by her very public tiff with Cuomo over his pension smoothing proposal.

The state Rifle and Pistol Association is attempting to shoot down a 2001 NYC gun regulation, arguing that residential pistol permits block marksmen from competing in contests outside of the five boroughs.

Former NYPD officier/Sen. Eric Adams testified that NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly once admitted that the department targets blacks and Latinos for its controversial stop-and-frisk program in an effort to keep guns off the streets.

Almost four months after the Newtown massacre, Connecticut officials unveiled a bipartisan gun control plan. More here.

More cuts are coming for the 49 organizations within the New York ARC network, including salary freezes or reductions for top executives who are paid higher than a new threshold set to take effect this summer.

The state’s cost to give a $350 tax break to some middle-class taxpayers and to cover part of the higher payroll costs for businesses under the new minimum wage hike program will be more than the amount predicted last week by state officials.

With the state budget ratified, progressives who want to see a system of public financing for state political campaigns kicked off a two-week lobbying push that will include more than $800,000 in television advertising.

The Adirondack Daily Enterprise: “There’s not much on paper yet regarding the latest talk of using public taxpayer dollars to finance political campaigns in New York state, but we think such a proposal would make little difference in leveling the political playing field.”

Weeks before the start of New York City’s largest bicycling tour, its organizers filed suit to avoid nearly $1 million in fees for traffic control by the NYPD.

A Brooklyn judge issued a temporary restraining order baring the state Health Department from acting on SUNY Downstate Medical Center’s request to close Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn.

Artists Against Fracking says Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon have used their own resources to protest drilling, and so haven’t had to register as lobbyists, but are willing to do so if necessary.

The NY Post wonders what became of the Senate Democrats’ promised report on an internal probe of the scuttled Aqueduct deal.

Buffalo mayoral hopeful Bernard Tolbert today will take the first step toward running in this year’s Democratic primary against incumbent Byron Brown when he establishes a campaign finance committee with the state Board of Elections.

GOP NYC mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota took to the steps of City Hall to deliver a blistering attack on his leading Democratic rival, Council Speaker Chris Quinn, for endorsing a new agency that would independently monitor the NYPD.

Michael Powell sides with Mayor Bloomberg in his battle with the Senate GOP over speed cameras.

The state Democratic Committee called GOP Chairman Ed Cox’s critical take on the newly enacted state budget “warped,” and pointed out that Senate Republicans voted as a bloc for the spending package.

Try to rip off Bill Hammond or any member of his family at your own risk.